Equipment

Owners of alloments - we salute you!

If your thinking of starting an allotment but need a little encouragement here are some great reasons to running an allotment. Chat to us in store if you want to know. We can get you in touch with the right people and give impartial advice.

Health

Fresh, healthy produce, that tastes better than anything you’ll find in a supermarket. The biggest benefit of an allotment is that you have the space to grow your own fruits and veggies, which will often mean that you end up eating more of them as part of your diet, because after all it would be a waste not to. Since you put the effort in to grow them, you’ll find that your greens have never tasted so good.

Wellbeing

Improved mental and physical wellbeing. Tending an allotment is actually really good exercise, and depending on how much you choose to grow you can keep the level of physical activity at a level that suits you. As well as keeping your body fit, the act of getting outside and caring for your plants can have a positive effect on your mood and it is great for reducing stress.

The big D

Increasing your Vitamin D levels. Most everyone has insufficient levels of vitamin D in their bodies, and that’s a shame because it has so many health benefits. If you own an allotment then all that time you spend working in the fresh air and sun (ish) will keep you topped up with vitamin D!

Community

Make a new circle of friends. Gardening in your allotment is a surprisingly social activity. Whilst you are at your allotment you will be in the company of other like mind folk, something you miss out on if you just garden at home.

"A garden requires patient labour and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfil good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them."

Liberty Hyde Bailey

Tips to Get You Going in Your Allotment

Soil quality matters. You aren’t going to be growing any prize-winning turnips if your soil is lacking nutrients or has the wrong pH. When you first start tending your plot it’s a good idea to test your soil so that you can plant appropriate crops, or so you know if you need to make changes. Adding compost is a great way to improve the condition of your soil so you may also want to turn some over into the soil at the start of each growing season.

Patience is a virtue. Rome wasn’t built in a day and crops don’t appear overnight. It takes dedication and patience to cultivate food from the ground, so don’t expect miracles. If you do feel the need to see something growing faster, you could plant seedlings rather than seeds, that way your plot will look more alive, as soon as you are done planting.

Organic slug pellets can be your best friend. Slugs and snails happen, and when they do it can be frustrating to see them dining on your crops. So, have some organic pellets on hand so you can ward them off without damaging your, or your neighbours’ crops.

Find out how we can help today

We are always happy to help and that is particularly true for those that are looking after an allotments as you talk our language. Call us up if you have a query or even better, drop in for a chat. I'm sure we can learn from each other.